Athletics New Brunswick will be hosting the Atlantic Athletics Summit on Nov 18-19 in Moncton NB. This event will feature athlete training sessions, coaching education opportunities, and other sessions including a club development workshop and an introduction to para-athletics workshop by Parasport NB. Athletes and coaches will be able to select from training sessions in all event areas of athletics, as well as seminars on strength training, functional movement, and many other topics. The Summit will also be hosting NCCP Club Coach courses in Jumps and Sprints/Hurdles. And we will have presentations by world renowned coach Les Gramantik and world-class athlete Caroline Ehrhardt.

Featured presenter Les Gramantik is one of the most respected coaches in Canada, and he has coached some of the best athletes to ever represent our country, including Jessica Zelinka and Mike Smith as well as present stars like Damian Warner and Niki Oudenaarden. He has expertise in all aspects of training, particularly in the speed/power events, and is a regular presenter at coaching conferences all over the world. His coaching extends beyond track & field – he has worked with athletes from many different sports including hockey, football, synchronized swimming, canoe/kayak, bobsleigh, and many others. Les will be leading training sessions on speed development and hurdling as well as giving the keynote presentation on “Coaching for Performance”.

Our featured athlete this year is Caroline Ehrhardt, the 6-time Canadian champion in triple jump, and the the top-ranked TJer in Canada for the past four years. Caroline is a 4-time CIS champion, and holds the CIS/USport record in triple jump. This summer she won gold in the TJ at the Jeux de la Francophonie in Abidjan CIV, and recorded the 4th longest jump ever for a Canadian woman at 13.59m. Along with leading sessions in the technical aspects of long and triple jump, Caroline will present on her journey from being a young athlete from small-town Ontario to her pursuit to become the first-ever Canadian woman to qualify for the Olympic Games in triple jump.

Other presenters will include David Foley, 9-time national team member, 2-time Canadian champion and 3-time CIS champion in the pole vault. Now coaching in Sherbrooke QC, he will share his immense experience and expertise with our athletes and coaches. We also have Dr Michel Johnson, a strength training expert and professor of kinesiology at the Université de Moncton, and Ueli Albert, head coach of Global Wheelchair Athletics.

“The Summit will provide athletes and coaches with an opportunity to gain some new perspectives and learn some new tricks that they will be able to employ during the present season and beyond,” according to ANB Director of High Performance, Steve LeBlanc. “We have outstanding coaches here in Atlantic Canada, but it is always beneficial to bring in some people from outside our region as well to get different eyes on what we are doing and fresh voices giving feedback,” added LeBlanc.

The Atlantic Athletics Summit takes place at the CEPS Louis-J-Robichaud on the campus of the Université de Moncton on Nov 18-19, 2017. For more information, visit the calendar section of the ANB website (http://www.anb.ca) or contact ANB diectly. Those interested in registering can do so online at TrackieReg (http://trackiereg.com/AtlanticSummit).

Oct 29 2017 - High Performance Director Tour

Nathan Simon, Athletics Canada’s new High Performance Director, is going on a tour of the country in over the next few weeks to introduce himself and the program and for coaches as well as athletes to be able to ask questions. Nathan has to submit a new High Performance Plan to Own The Podium in November this year outlining his plans through to the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. This tour will be important to help him understand what needs to be included in the plan.

His visit to New Brunswick will be on November 4 in Moncton at the University of Moncton (18 Antonine-Maillet Ave, E1A 3E9). Coaches and athletes alike are welcome to come and meet with the new High Performance Director.

There is also the possibility for one-to-one meetings with Nathan after the main presentation, although these opportunities may need to be limited if demand is high. If you are interested in a private meeting with Nathan please indicate so on the registration link.

Oct 26 2017 - Atlantic University Cross country Championships Set for this weekend

This Saturday, Acadia University will be hosting the fastest runners of the Atlantic Canadian varsity circuit this Saturday, October 28th at the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) cross-country championship. The competition promises to entertain on both the men’s and women’s side, as observers will rarely have seen such parity within the conference. Start time for the varsity women is scheduled for 12:00 pm, while the men will be toeing the line at 12:45 pm.

On the ladies’ side, the Dalhousie Tigers are the front-runners. Lead by 2016 national cross-country junior champion and AUS rookie Savanna Jordan, and senior runner and perennial team cornerstone Michelle Reddy, the Rich Lehman-coached ladies are ready to pounce. They finished 3rd overall at the Laval Rouge et Or Invitational, and first among AUS teams. Last year, they were crowned AUS champions, placing their entire scoring squad in the conference top ten. This year, however, they do not anticipate a win to come as easily. The St. FX X-Women, lead by veteran runner Liz MacDonald and Junior Catherine Thompson, as well as the Acadia Axewomen, will be closely chasing. They recently took top team honours at their home meet at St. FX University, while the Tigers rested their legs. The Axewomen, last year’s bronze medal winners, are lead by New Brunswick native Katie Robinson. The runner from Saint John was the individual victor in the X-Women-dominated race in Antigonish on October 14th.

Also ready to make an impact are two runners from New Brunswick, Carol-Ann MacDonald and Kamylle Frenette, both competing with Université de Moncton. MacDonald snagged bronze at the SMU/Dal invitational, after being Reddy’s runner up in UNB/STU invitational, a week prior. Frenette placed 12th in Halifax, and followed it up with a 46th place finish at the Laval Rouge et Or Invitational, a race in which Carol-Ann placed 13th overall. Lead by these two ladies, les Aigles Bleues will try to improve on their fourth place finish from last year.

On the men’s side, a heated battle is expected. Lee Wesselius of River Glade, NB, leads the young University of Prince Edward Island Panthers team to what will only be their second AUS championship. He comes into the competition with a 9th place finish at the Laval Rouge et Or Invitational, a race in which he was the 4th AUS runner to cross the line. Though he is vying for the title of individual champion, he will be challenged by the likes of Cal DeWolfe of Dalhousie, and Alex Neuffer and Angus Rawling of St. FX. DeWolfe is the defending AUS cross-country champion, and edged Wesselius by one second in Laval. Rawling took top spot at the SMU/Dal open and the St. FX Invitational, while Neuffer mounted the podium’s highest echelon at the UNB/STU Invitational, early in the season. Having all run for St. FX in 2015-2016, the four runners are well acquainted with each other, and the battle for supremacy will be fierce.

Lead by Wesselius, New Brunswick is once again well represented at this championship on the men’s front. Michael Colford, a sophomore runner, is the leader of University of New Brunswick’s young team. He had finished only six seconds behind Wesselius at the UNB/STU meet, on route to a 4th place finish. He was 22nd at the Laval Rouge et Or Invitational.

Angus MacIntosh of Riverview, NB is poised to play a key role in Dalhousie’s hunt for the team title. Last year’s ninth place finisher is rounding into form after battling injury. The 3000 metre steeplechase specialist finished in 31st place at the Laval Rouge et Or Invitational, and is rounding into form just in time for the championship races. Trying to challenge MacIntosh will be fellow steeplechaser Bryan Thomas, of Université de Moncton. The Bathurst, NB native was 66th in Laval, and had been 17th at the SMU/Dal Invitational.

The St. Francis Xavier X-Men will be vying for a seventh straight conference title in coach Bernie Chisholm’s final season as bench boss, but they will have their hands full with Dalhousie’s veteran team. UNB will try to sneak on the podium, and improve from their 5th place finish from last year, while Université de Moncton will try to defend their 2016 bronze medal.

The top runners from these races will compete in the U Sports (formerly Canadian Interuniversity Sport) Cross-Country Championships, which will be taking place in Victoria, British Columbia on November 12th.

Oct 23 2017 - Renew Your ANB membership for 2018!

Athletics New Brunswick membership is now open for the 2018 year! Don't forget to renew your membership!

Your 2017 ANB membership expires on December 31st! As you know, membership is required to participate in any of our Championship events, and to be eligible for rankings, records, teams, funding, awards, and many other great opportunities!

In addition, we will be drawing 15 special mystery prizes if you renew your membership before November 30, 2017. These prizes could include all sorts of goodies, including Nike prov team apparel! So get registered early for your chance to win!

Oct 21 2017 - NBIAA Provincial Champs Recap

The NBIAA Cross Country Championships took place yesterday in Charlo with 227 of the province's best high school distance runners competing. This year's championships was the first to feature the new distances, with all junior athletes running 4 kilometers and all seniors athletes running 6 kilometers.

On the girl's side:

Danielle Keefe of Fredericton High School won gold in the junior girls' race in a time of 14:49, while Emily Doucet of École Mgr-Marcel-François-Richard won silver in a time of 15:02, and Mackenzie Hall of Fredericton High School won bronze in a time of 15:13.

Fredericton High School won the junior girls' championships banner with a score of 14, followed by École Mathieu-Martin with a score of 96, and Bernice MacNaughton High School with a score of 116.

Isabella Lemaire of École Mathieu-Martin won the senior girls' race with a time of 23:24, while Hannah Trites of Fredericton High School won silver with a time of 23:47, and Sophie Black bronze with a time of 24:09.

École Mathieu-Martin won the senor girls' championship banner with a score of 44, followed by Fredericton High School with a score of 53, and Sir James Dunn Academy with a score of 57.

On the boy's side:

Francois Richard of École Mathieu-Martin won gold in the junior boys' race a time of 13:19, while teammate Tristan Morneault won silver in a time of 13:55, and Cassidy Balfour of École L'Odyssée won bronze in a time of 14:01.

Polyvalente W.-A.Losier won the junior boys' championship banner with a score of 66, followed by Bernice MacNaughton High School with a score of 83, and École Mathieu-Martin with a score of 88.

Lars Schwarz of École Sainte-Anne won gold in the senior boys' race in a time of 20:36, while teammate Alexandre Banks of Harbour View High School won silver in a time of 21:07, and Mitch Kean of Leo Hayes High School won bronze in a time of 21:09.

Bernice MacNaughton High School won the senior boys' championship banner with a score of 58, followed by Saint John High School with a score of 75, and Polyvalente W.-A.Losier with a score of 84.

"This year's NBIAA Cross Country Championships proved to be very exciting as a result of the new distances," said Gabriel LeBlanc, Executive Director of Athletics New Brunswick. "The distances proved to be both exciting and challenging, and will result in a better transition to the distances run by post-secondary athletes."

The past weekend we held our First provincial Youth Cross country Championships in Fredericton. There was almost 500 kids aged 13 and under who participated on Sunday.

In the 5 and under category the girl's 500m run was won by Neve Yerxa, second was Ella LeBlanc. Third was Leah Friel. On the 5 and under boys side, Noah Mazerolle was first, second was Caleb Marcoux, third was Easton Morneault.

In the 6 and 7 year old category, on the girl's side first was Taylor-Lynn Brun, second was Anna Kilfoil, third was Morgan Groundwater. On the boys side Jerome Drapeau was the winner, second was Matteo LeBlanc, third was Mathis Landry. The winning team was Ecole Des Batisseurs.

In the 8 year old girls category Madeleine Colpitts was the victor, second was Terryn Bear, Third was Taylor Mason. For the boys, Grady Betts was first, William London was second, third was Brayden Waterhouse. For the team title New Maryland was third with 123 points, second was Lakewood Heights School with 105 points and frist was Park Street Elementary School with 68 points.

The 9 year old girls winner was Emily Thomas, second was Myah Trottier, third was Denelle Harker. On the boys side, Eric Desaulniers was first, second was Gavin Reagon, and third was Cameron MacCurdy. For the team title, third was Chris Saunders Memorial with 126 points, second was Bakers Point Elementary with 105 points and Ecole des Batisseurs was the winner with 56 points.

The 10 year old category the girls winner was Felicia Mortimer, second was Celine Despres and third was Claire Nowlan. On the guys side Liam Kilfoil was the winner, Luke Paterson was second, Kyle Broderick was third. The winning team was Ecole des Batisseurs with 110 points.

In the 11 year old category, on the girls side first was Tori Allen, second was Kate Theriault, third was Alexandra Leslie. On the boys side first was Alexi Collette, second was Jonah Young and third was Granville Delby. The top teams are in second place Geroge Street Middle with 63 points and first was Bliss Carmen Middle with 54 points.

In the 12 and 13 year old category on the girl's side the winner was Erin Vringer, second was Jessica White and third was Nicole Trites. On the boys side Nicholas Harvey was first, Micah Landry was second and Owen Blacquier was third. The top teams are, in third St. Stephen Middle with 56 points, second was George Street Middle with 32 points and first was Bliss Carmen Middle with 27 points.

Congratulations to everybody for participating, it was a great day and we hope everybody enjoyed themselves!

Oct 16 2017 - NBIAA Regionals Recap

On Saturday both NBIAA regional qualifiers were held, in Fredericton and Moncton respectively.

The south West regional was held in Fredericton in Odell Park.

In the junior girls 4km race the winner was Danielle Keefe with a time of 15:44, second was Mackenzie Hall with a time of 16:10, third was Madeleine McLeod with a time of 16:20, fourth was Frances Wright with a time of 16:25 and fifth was Emily Trites with a time of 16:32. The top 3 teams were Canterbury High with 84 points, Leo Hayes with 83 points and Fredericton High with 12 points.

In the junior boys 4km race the winner was Daniel Hawkes with a time of 15:29, second was Porter Taylor with a time of 15:32, third was Byers Justin with a time of 15:34, fourth was Misha Boulderice with a time of 15:43 and fifth was Matt Watson with a time of 15:45. The Top 3 teams were Hampton High with 77, Kennebecassis Valley High with 71 and Woodstock High with 65.

The the senior girls 6km race the winner was Natasha Vatcher with a time of 26:07, second was Allie Griffin with a time of 26:27, third was Hannah Trites with a time of 26:38, fourth was Hannah Haynes-MacDonald with a time of 27:00, fifth was Emmanuelle Martin with a time of 27:00. The top 3 teams were Saint John High with 56, Sir James Dunn Academy with 45 and Fredericton High with 27.

The senior boys 6km race winner was Lars Schwarz with a time of 22:00, Alexandre Banks with 22:54, third was Aidan Donnelly with a time of 23:26, fourth was Mitch Kean with a time of 23:39, and fifth was Ben Shafer with a time of 23:48. The top 3 teams were Leo Hayes High with 66 points, second was Ecole Sainte-Anne with 49 and Saint John High with 47 points.

The North East regional was held in Moncton at McNaughton High School.

In the junior girls 4km race the winner was Emily Doucet with a time of 15:51, second was Shelby MacIsaac with a time of 16:19, third was Hannah Lipton Levyssohn with a time of 17:11, fourth was Ariane Austin with a time of 17:45 and fifth was Kaekyn Pitre with a time of 18:28. The top 3 teams were Polyvalente W.-A.-Losier with 65 points, Bernice MacNaughton High with 51 points and Ecole Mathieu-Martin with 47.

In the junior boys 4km race the winner was Francois Richard with 13:46, second was Tristan Morneault with 14:16, third was Owen Enstrom with 14:45, fourth was Julien Thibodeau with 15:05, fifth was Cassidy Balfour with a 15:11. The top 3 teams were Bernice MacNaughton with 58, Ecole Mathieu-Martin with 49 and Polyvalente W.-A.-Losier with 46.

In the senior girls 6km race the winner was Isabella with a time of 25:25, second was Sophie Black with a time of 26:32, third was Amelie Cormier with 26:49, fourth was Amy Poirier with 29:05 and fifth was Ariane McGraw with 29:29. The top 3 teams were Ecole Secondaire Nepisiguit with 57, Bernice MacNaughton High with 53 and Ecole Mathieu-Martin with 17.

In the senior boys 6km race the winner was Nick Fletcher with 22:49, second was David Basque with 22:56, third was Logan Reid with 23:01, fourth was Ryan Haddad with 23:13, fifth was Jeremie Gervais with 23:27. The top 3 teams were Ecole Mathieu Martin with 41, Polyvalente W.-A.-Losier with 40, Bernice MacNaughton with 33.

Oct 12 2017 - Tim Hortons Family Run Walk

OCTOBER 21st, 2017
Tim Hortons Family Run Walk expects over 400 to run for literacy on Saturday, October 21st.

The entire family can be involved in the 18th annual IGT Legs for Literacy Marathon weekend by participating in the 1 km and 2 km races being held on Saturday, October 21st. It is an opportunity for families to get active together and raise money for literacy. The Tim Hortons Family Run Walk will take place on Downing Street in front of the library entrance starting at 10AM and participants are asked to arrive between 9 AM and 9:30AM. Thank you to Tim Hortons for sponsoring our event again this year.

Registration is $10 per family and children will receive a race bib, a finisher’s medal, snacks and a book! Every child who participates can bring their race bib into our Expo at The Delta Beausejour Hotel after the event and collect a book to take home with them. Thanks to Scholastics Canada for donating the books.

Families can find more information and register online at legsforliteracy.com/family-run-walk. Registration will also be available onsite between 9:00 and 9:45 a.m. The wheelchair event will begin at 10 a.m. on Assumption Boulevard, followed by the 0-8 years old and the 1K, then the 9-13 years old and the 2K.
Proceeds from all the IGT Legs for Literacy events go directly back into the community, supporting literacy initiatives.

Oct 10 2017 - Youth Cross Country Provincials happening this Sunday

The New Brunswick Youth Cross Country Championships are happening this Sunday at Odell Park in Fredericton. With over 250 of the provinces best up and coming runners expected to participate, this is sure to be a spectacular event!

The event features distances for athletes under fourteen years of age, and will include distances ranging from 500m to 2000m, depending on age group. The top three athletes in each event will be awarded medals, while ribbons will be awarded to athletes finishing fourth to eighth place. Team banners will also be awarded to the winners of each age group, with teams consisting of five or more athletes.

"We are very excited to launch our first Provincial Youth Cross Country Championships, and especially to host it at such a great venue," said Gabriel LeBlanc, Executive Director of Athletics New Brunswick. "With such a high turnout expected we're sure this will be a wonderful championships."

* On-site registration is also available but there is an additional $5 fee

By: Brandon Scott LeBlanc

Oct 8 2017 - RSEQ-AUS Interlock Recap

The RSEQ-AUS Interlock Meet took place this past Saturday on the Plains of Abraham in Quebec City. Most of the Atlantic universities made the trip to compete against Eastern Canada's best, resulting in great results for New Brunswick athletes. Acadia University, Memorial University, and St. Thomas University were the only Atlantic schools not in attendance.

On the women's side:

The 8k race was won by Anne-Marie Comeau of Laval in a time of 29:00, followed by Meggie Dargis of McGill in a time of 29:11, and Aurelie Dube-Lavoie of Laval in a time of 29:19. Carol-Ann MacDonald of UdeM (14th, 31:51) was the top New Brunswicker, followed by Anouck Pelletier (35th, 32:53), and Kamylle Frenette of UdeM (48th, 33:22).

The team title went to Laval with a score of 28, followed by McGill with a score of 46, and Dalhousie with a score of 91.

On the men's side:

The 10k race was won by Yves Sikubwabo of Laval in a time of 31:43, followed by teammate Dany Racine in 31:56, and Matt McNeil of Halifax Road Hammers in 32:02. McNeil was the top New Bruswicker, followed by Lee Wesselius of UPEI (11th, 32:24), and Michael Colford of UNB (26th, 33:44).

The team title went to Laval with a score of 33, followed by Dalhousie with a score of 98, and McGill with a score of 115.

"New Brunswicker's did fantastic at the Interlock Meet; these results give a good indication of how athletes and teams rank as the AUS Championships get closer," said Gabriel LeBlanc, Executive Director of Athletics New Brunswick. "It was great to see Matt finish in the top three, and Lee finish in the top ten among university athletes."

The next AUS race is the St. FX Cross Country Invitational, taking place on October 14th.

By: Brandon Scott LeBlanc

Oct 4 2017 - Annual ANB Awards finalist Announced

Athletics New Brunswick is very pleased to announce the finalists for the 2017 ANB Awards. The winners will be presented at the ANB Awards Gala, to be held on November 25 at CFB Gagetown in Oromocto.

In addition to the athlete finalist, ANB will be recognizing the outstanding contributions to the sport of athletics by three individuals in the volunteer, coach and official categories.